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Lepine announces director picks

The new-look Plaquemines Parish Government under President-elect Kirk Lepine is coming into focus a week ahead of Lepine’s Jan. 2 inauguration.

At the top of the administration, Lepine will retain just one of President Amos Cormier’s charter directors: Director of Operations Don Beshel.

“I think Don has done a great job in his role and I want to continue moving in that direction,” said Lepine. “He’s a good manager of the department and I’m going to allow my directors to be good managers and run their departments. That’s why each choice I’m making brings unique qualifications to those positions.”

Beshel, who previously ran his family’s Eastbank furniture and seafood businesses, was tabbed by Cormier at the beginning of 2018 to replace embattled former Director of Operations Stanley Wallace. Wallace resigned in October 2017 after months of clashing with Parish Council members over a backlog of work orders. Wallace told council members his crew was clearing ditches and repairing streets as fast as it could, but the council didn’t buy it. In February of 2017, just months after Cormier took office and installed Wallace and Director of Public Service Michael Jiles, the council voted to reduce the directors’ pay from $85,000 to $36,000 to express its displeasure.